Shinobi Secrets
by Chakra Kitten
Summary: Sasu/Saku/Naru, Sakura decides that Sasuke is too creepy and ignorant to be the love of her life and Sasuke thinks its about time he took what was coming to him. Naruto is stuck in the middle and very much in love with both. Random pairings, Yaoi, MMF.
1. The Flaky Date

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters... Which makes me a very sad girl... because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable than anyone could handle.

-- Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends.. they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable.. ;)

**Chapter 1**

_The Flaky Date_

Kakashi leaned against a tree at the training grounds, reading his favorite hentai manga. Sakura stood nearby, cheering on Sasuke as he sparred with Naruto. Naruto dodged clumsily to the right, barely missing the expertly thrown kunai. He had only enough time to think, "_Sasuke bastard is getting better... I have to try harder!" _The black haired Shinobi threw another set of throwing knives at NarutoSasuke stared at his opponent as Naruto exploded with a massive amount of chakra in order to deflect the kunais. However, one slipped through his guard, cutting his sleeve and revealing a mass amount of bandages. Seeing the bandages Sasuke was caught completely off guard, allowing Naruto a quick cheap shot to his ribs.

Kakashi sensed Sasuke's hesitation and looked up from his book. "You two are done for the day, great job. Go home and get some rest."

Sakura stepped forward and smiled. "You were amazing today Sasuke-kun! Dead Last couldn't have kept up with you in a million years!" She scooted right up against Sasuke's side and looked up into his eyes. "Sasuke-kun… Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Sasuke looked down at her, keeping his face static. "I'd rather cut my own foot off."

Sakura's eyes filled with tears, and she thought "_Just you wait… I'll get you yet! HELL YEAH!" . "_Oh…Okay... well... I'll just be going home then." She turned and ran down the path, tears streaming behind her.

Naruto walked up behind Sasuke and asked in a completely even tone, "Would you like to go to the ramen stand with me?" Sasuke took this as an occasion when Naruto wanted to talk, which wasn't very often when it came to Sasuke.

"Whatever, let's go. But I'm not paying."

Naruto pouted slightly at the last bit but shrugged and headed down that path anyway, Sasuke close behind him.

**Ten Minutes Later…At The Ramen Stand**

Naruto plopped down on his favorite seat and quickly ordered Miso ramen for himself and Beef for Sasuke. He turned and patted the stool next to himself, then looked intently back at his ramen being prepared. Sasuke sat down and scowled. Every time he was around Naruto he was forced to consume vast amounts of ramen, he wondered how Naruto was able to eat the noodles everyday and not puke.

Two steaming bowls were placed in front of them. Naruto didn't even hear when the owner of the stand told them to 'eat up', he already was, and his slurping could be heard on the other side of Konoha. Naruto guzzled the salty broth as he was already done with his first bowl. Sasuke stared at his bowl, _"Naruto really is a glutton"_ he thought, "_I've barely started on my first bowl and he's already on his…" _He looked at Naruto and shook his head, _"fourth! I'm so glad I'm not paying…" _

Sasuke finished his second bowl and leaned back a little, disgusted at how much he had eaten. He glanced at Naruto's tower of empty bowls and felt himself start to get sick. He looked at Naruto and realized that it was no longer him - it was a log. The Ramen stand's owner cleared his throat and Sasuke looked up quickly, seeing the fire in his eyes. "So, Mr. Uchiha... cash or credit?" Sasuke's eyes went wide and he reached for his back pocket.

"Cash…"

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I just figured it was time to move it to my account.

Sorry if there was any confusion.

--Chakra Kitten


	2. Visitor's Surprise

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable than anyone could handle.

-- Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 2**

_Visitor's Surprise_

Outside Naruto's front door, Sasuke tried to think of an excuse for visiting that wouldn't seem too out of the ordinary. A thought came to him and he knocked on the door. The sound of Naruto's footsteps running towards him made Sasuke doubt his reasons for coming over. _"Will he believe me?" _He wondered. I'm coming!" Naruto yelled as he reached his front door.

Opening the door, Naruto was shocked to see Sasuke. They stared at each-other for a few moments.

"Are you going to let me in or should I just grow roots?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh..uh.. come in.." Naruto said, taking a few steps backwards. Sasuke stepped inside and Naruto shut the door behind him.

"So.. what's going on?" Naruto asked, rubbing his left arm where Sasuke's kunai had cut his sleeve.

"I know you wanted to talk to me.. that's why you asked me to the ramen stand.. but you took off without saying anything."

Naruto started for his kitchen "Oh..uh.. it's nothing.. Do you want anything to drink?" He walked a little faster.

"You can't lie very well Naruto, know you're hiding something from me.. What's under those bandages? I'm not being too hard on you in training am I? I haven't hurt you.. right?" Sasuke searched for words to express his concern but only managed to make himself seem annoyed.

"Look.. I said it was noth--"

Sasuke cut him off, "Don't lie to me! Tell me what's going on."

Naruto looked back at him, sensing his feelings.

"I... well.. It's not you.. I just..." Naruto looked down at his arm and sighed. Sasuke stepped closer to him.

"It's just what? You're not.. doing that to... yourself.. are you?" Sasuke looked at him in horror.

"Sasuke.. I.. I didn't think anyone would notice or even care." Sasuke stepped forward with a sudden rage and pushed Naruto back against the wall.

"Stop it! Don't do this to me.. I can't take it... I can't lose another person I care about.. I can't lose you, Naruto!"

Naruto looked up at him in shock. "You... care.. about _me_?"

"Of course I do.. very much.." Sasuke looked at him for a moment. Without a second thought he leaned down and kissed him firmly on the lips.

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--Chakra Kitten


	3. Confrontation

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable than anyone could handle.

-- Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 3**

Confrontation

Sasuke pinned Naruto aggressively to the wall and kissed him again, running his fingers down his sides. Naruto kissed back, not understanding his reaction fully, just knowing that it felt all too natural. For a moment it was as if time itself stopped. Then Naruto came to his senses.

_"WHAT! Sasuke bastard is kissing me!" _Was his first frantic thought. He pulled back from the kiss and placed his hands on Sasuke's chest. He gathered enough chakra to send him back a few feet and released it. Sasuke flew backwards, knocking over the table behind him. Sasuke just stared at him, the same cold, empty stare he always gave.

"What the hell were you thinking? I can't believe you… I…" Naruto trailed off and looked down at his feet for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He looked back up, into Sasuke's eyes and for a moment saw them soften. A faint smile touched his lips and he was gone in a puff of smoke. Naruto stared unbelievingly at the place his teammate stood only moments ago. Slowly, he slid down the wall into a sitting position.

"He didn't mean anything by that.. It was a joke.. That's all.. Just some sick joke.. He doesn't really care for me…" Naruto stared down at his lap. "It's not my fault I reacted.. that's normal if someone kisses you.. isn't it?" He ran his fingers down his arms and felt the bandages. He tore them off of his left arm and reached for his kunai holster.

"There is no way he meant it. No one even realizes that I exist most of the time… One more won't hurt…" He placed the blade to his skin. "He would have stayed with me if he really cared…"

The next morning Naruto headed for the training grounds, fresh bandages on both arms. Sakura was waiting by the tree as usual but Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Naruto looked over at Sakura and nodded.

"Where's Sasuke? I thought he was with you yesterday." Sakura looked at him with fire in her eyes. "Seems like you two are such great friends lately… I figured if anyone knew where he was it was you."

"I don't _care_ where Sasuke bastard is. Hopefully he fell down and broke both legs and died overnight somewhere." Naruto walked over to the tree and sat down, crossing his arms and staring off at nothing. Sakura's eyes widened and a look of total surprise came across her face.

"What happened yesterday? You didn't hurt him did you?" Sakura was spitting fire again, leaning menacingly over Naruto's head. "I swear.. if you harmed one hair on his gorgeous hea-"

"Shut up. I don't want to talk about it." Naruto cut her off with a cold glare. Right at that moment Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hey! Good morning!.. Sorry I'm late.. this little bird flew by my head and I-"

Sakura raised her hand in front of his face.

"Spare us. I was just getting to the part where Naruto gives away the location he stashed _my_ Sasuke-kun's body!" She pointed a finger at Naruto. "I know you did it! He's never late and you were the last one to see him.. It was Naruto for sure!"

"What did Naruto do now?" Came Sasuke's voice from behind them. Sakura spun in place and faced him, squealing.

"Sasuke-kun! Why were you hiding from me?" She ran over to hug him. He quickly side-stepped her and walked over to Naruto. Sakura Caught herself just before falling on her face and turned to look at them. Sasuke looked down at Naruto with genuine concern.

"You look like you need to talk."

"I'm fine, thanks…" Naruto looked up at him and their eyes locked. Naruto blushed instantly and looked away, disgusted that his body could react to Sasuke's mere presence so greatly. _"He means nothing to me because I mean nothing to him. He doesn't _really_ care…"_

"Have it your way…." Sasuke turned and walked away. _"You won't admit it.. but you feel it too. I know it."_

Kakashi stared at Sasuke's retreating form, stunned by what he had just seen. _"What a great time for his feelings to finally come out.. " _ He sighed and shook his head. "Well… I guess training is a little pointless with only two of you.. go find something else to do." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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Sorry for the short chapters, I'm trying to make them longer and well… more interesting. I can't hold your interest for much longer with this lack of quality.. :P

--Chakra Kitten


	4. Gay Sauce and Jello

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 4**

_Gay Sauce and Jell-o_

Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his bathroom door. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. _"Why... Why does he have to mess with my mind like that?"_ Just as he started to lean back there was a knock at his door. He sighed again and slowly stood up. _"That had better not be Sasuke bastard…"_ He walked over to the door and opened it cautiously, afraid of what he might find.

To his great relief he found Gaara there, looking rather stressed.

"Gaara? What are you doing here? I thought you were going home…"

"I... was…" He looked down at his feet. "You said I could come back if I needed to talk..."

"Oh!" Naruto stepped back to let him in. "Yeah.." He looked around behind himself. "I'll just have to uh… clean up a bit." He ran towards the table and started frantically putting things away. Gaara came in and closed the door behind him.

"Don't freak out... It's a whole lot cleaner than _last_ time I was here." Gaara said, walking towards the table and pulling out a chair. Naruto sighed and shut the drawer he had been stuffing random objects into and turned to pull out a chair for himself. They both sat down and stared at each other blankly.

"So…how are...things?" Naruto started unsteadily.

"I guess okay… It's been getting better, but I get really… out there sometimes." Naruto was about to speak when a disturbed look came across Gaara's face. "I…uh…" He gulped down a quick breath, "Is your bathroom still in the same place?" He stood up quickly.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Naruto's blank stare turned to a look of concern as he pointed towards the door. Gaara took off towards the bathroom, shutting the door quickly behind him once he was inside. "I hope he's okay… He can be so weird sometimes." Naruto stood up and walked to his refrigerator. He opened the door and leaned over to look at the various leftovers on the bottom shelf. A strange wave of darkness came over him and he dropped to his knees, rubbing his bandaged arms. His hand slowly strayed to his kunai holster.

There was a sudden knock on his front door. He jumped, ashamed at what he had been about to do. He scrambled to his feet and ran for the door. He stopped two feet from the door, a sudden fear gripping him. _"What if it's Sasuke…?"_ Butterflies coursed through him at the thought of the dark haired Shinobi. _"Damn nausea… must have eaten something bad."_ He slowly moved closer to the door, too anxious to breathe.

He reached for the doorknob and another batch of butterflies shot through his stomach_. "I wonder if it was that ramen…"_ He shook himself and took a deep breath. Another knock rang from the other side of the door. "He can't hurt me… only I can hurt me." He whispered to himself as he turned the knob. He took another deep breath and pulled.

"Nice of you to finally open the door…" Sasuke said, pushing his way inside. Naruto stepped back stiffly, in complete shock. Sasuke moved closer, closing the door behind himself. "I have you where I want you Naru-chan. You're all mine, nothing can stop me now."

"B-but I have a gue--" Naruto started.

"Just stop. Don't make any excuses. You know we both want this. It's just too right. Don't say another word." Sasuke stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the slim blonde. He tilted his head down and found his lips just centimeters from Naruto's slightly parted ones. He stared into Naruto's deep diamond eyes and felt as though he was going to explode. A fierce heat flowed through Naruto's veins and he could bear it no longer. He suddenly closed the gap between them, forcing his lips against Sasuke's.

Sasuke's eyes closed and a delighted smile played across his face as he held Naruto tighter, guiding him slowly around the table towards the bed. Lost in Sasuke's tender embrace, Naruto barely heard his screaming conscience, begging him to realize what was happening. His body responded as though it had a mind of its own. Sasuke pinned him to the bed, pulling back from the kiss. Their eyes met and Naruto's cheeks flushed crimson as he realized Sasuke's intent.

"No…We… I... C-can't. In the bathroom.. there's…" Sasuke gently pressed a finger to Naruto's lips.

"Just let me enjoy this one moment.. before you wake up…" He pulled Naruto's shirt up over his head and ran a single finger down the center of his chest. "Too perfect…"

"Wait.. what do you mean…?" Naruto's words trailed off as Sasuke once again pressed his lips to Naruto's.

"NARUTO!" Came Gaara's voice sharply as he shook him from his sleep. Naruto shot upward quickly, wiping some indistinguishable goop from his face.

"What? Where did... What happened?" He stood up and closed the refrigerator door, continuing to rub the feeling back into his frigid cheek.

"I don't know what happened.. I came out of the bathroom to find you passed out in the refrigerator face first in a bowl of Jell-O. You kept muttering something about gay sauce… I have no idea.." He tossed Naruto a towel from the bathroom.

"Gay sauce…? Gay…sauce… Sauce...gay…" Naruto's eyes went wide and he blushed a dark red. "Oh.. I uh...Just a bad dream.. nothing really.." He walked to the edge of his bed and at down, a warm feeling rushing through his body. He wiped the rest of his face clean and tossed the towel by his dirty clothes. "I guess you better just stay the night and we can talk later tomorrow… after practice. Since I'm so...uh… sleepy."

"Good idea…" Gaara leaned back against the wall. "I'll figure it out. Get some sleep."

"Okay… well… goodnight." Naruto dropped down and quickly fell asleep, the feeling of Sasuke's burning hands upon him once again.

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Oi! .. sorry for the delay. I haven't been able to get up to the folk's place to update.. Not to mention a new job which has hogged my entire life. I will try to add more chapters today!

--Chakra Kitten


	5. Dreams and Demons

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters... Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 5**

_Dreams and Demons_

"So then we kissed… I mean… I kissed him…and… and…" Naruto trailed off, slightly embarrassed but more afraid of the reaction he might have to the fire spreading inside him. "I woke up with my face in a bowl of Jell-o!"

Kakashi sighed deeply. "I knew this day would come" He sighed. "…Oh… and how did the jell-o turn out?" He leaned back against the tree, looking up at the sky.

"It was… okay. It had my face imprinted in it …Gaara ate the whole bowl… Wait…What? How did you know about …us?" Naruto stood up quickly.

"I've always noticed the way Sasuke looks at you… The way he tries to protect you from the full force of his attacks."

"What! I can take him any day! He's got nothing on me!" Naruto pointed to the sky. "I won't let him defeat me! He can't hurt me! I'm unstoppable!"

Kakashi shook his head and sighed. "You don't get it do you? He really cares for you and all you think about is pride. Foolish. So young and foolish. If I was like that in my relationship with Iruk—No um... never mind." He cleared his throat and picked up his book again, as though he hadn't said anything.

"Iruka-sensei? Him too!" Naruto fell backwards unto his behind with a sharp thud. "How many of you are there? You are everywhere! Multiplying! What do you do? Hide in the shadows and around corners, trying to snare innocent little boys and crush their dreams of becoming Hokage!" Naruto stopped at the sight of the amused look in Kakashi's eyes, seemingly out of breath.

"You're one of _us_ too, you know. Don't knock it 'til you try it." Kakashi's amusement spread to a small laugh and he put his book in his pocket. "You had better head home. You've got a lot of thinking to do, I'd say." He extended his hand to Naruto. "Come on." Naruto took his hand and let his teacher help him to his feet.

"Home. Yeah… That sounds good." Naruto turned and started to walk away.

"Don't look so hopeless. Love comes to those who deserve and need it most." Kakashi said, stepping slowly away from the tree. Naruto turned to throw a sharp comeback at him, but he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Instead of fierce resentment he could only whisper, "Easy for you to say… You aren't worthless like I am. Love is a waste for someone like me." Naruto saw his teacher's 'adult' book lying on the ground next to the tree. _"I can't leave that here... what if Konohamaru finds it…"_ He sighed and turned back turned back to pick up the book, then continued on towards town.

Naruto sighed, staring down at his feet as he walked. "If they knew what was going on in my head… They would give up too. I'm just not worth it. There are too many things wrong with me… No one knows what it's like to be broken."

He stopped, looking up at the crowds of people shopping and walking, heading back the way he had come. "Why doesn't anyone ever notice me? Why do I not exist in their eyes? WHAT THE HELL IS SO WRONG WITH ME!" The crowd parted around him, mothers hiding their children behind them. "Oh sure, notice me now. Notice me only when I do something wrong." He spun in a circle, pointing to everyone around him. "You'll see someday! You'll all worship the ground I walk on."

He felt a presence, too close behind him. "I already do…" Came Sasuke's soft voice, barely audible above the murmurings of the townspeople. The warm breath on his neck sent a shiver down his spine and goose bumps coursing down his arms. Naruto turned quickly to look, but Sasuke was long gone. Naruto turned back and let out a cry, shoving his way through the crowd back to his apartment.

Naruto pulled open his front door. He walked inside and shut the door behind himself, slipping his shoes off. He tossed his shoes haphazardly onto the rack, one falling to the floor instead. He walked to the table and in one fluid motion, pulled out a chair and threw himself into it with an audible thud.

Gaara walked out of the bathroom and pulled out the chair adjacent to Naruto. Sitting down he asked, "Are you that upset about me eating the Jell-o?"

Naruto looked up from the table and shook his head. "Oh...no, it's nothing really. It's just… training stuff." Quickly changing the subject he added, "You said you needed to talk..?" The frigid emptiness in his eyes temporarily masked by a warm concern.

Gaara heard the raw, jarring mix of emotions in Naruto's voice, but chose to ignore them, knowing that he would never get answers to his questions. "Well… It's a weird dream I keep having. I'm standing on top of this mountain in sun god robes." He stopped, remembering the vivid purple of the sky.

"And…? Go on…" Naruto leaned forward slightly, interested in the redhead's story.

Gaara smirked and continued, "I am surrounded by thousands of women, all throwing tiny pickles at me." He chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. Naruto stared at him blankly. "That's not the interesting part…"

"Wh-what? There's more?" Naruto asked, clearing his throat.

"Each and every one of them has pale pink hair and soft green eyes."

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto suggested, sitting up straight again.

"Unfortunately." Answered Gaara flatly.

Naruto felt the instant compulsion to rise to her defense. "Why is that unfortunate? She is smart, strong willed, charming and absolutely beautiful. There is no reason to be ashamed." He was shocked to hear the words from his own mouth. _"What am I saying?"_ He asked himself.

"Oh, I'm far from ashamed, there's just…" He blushed lightly, "Someone else that I already have in mind." He blushed a shade darker and looked down at his hands in his lap.

"Who? Does she like you?" Naruto asked, leaning forward once more, his chin mere inches from the tabletop.

"Oh… I know he does. I've known that for a long time."

"Wait—wait. _He?_ You mean… you…Who?" Naruto's eyes went wide.

"Lee." Gaara said, looking at the floor, a sudden impish grin spread ear to ear.

Naruto crashed forward, face-first into the table, his chair flying out behind him. He jumped backwards, a dazed look on his face. He mumbled incoherently at first, the only intelligible words "recruiting" and "everywhere".

"Are you okay? I had hoped you would be happy for us. I mean, after all you and Sasuke are such a great pair—."

"Sasuke-bastard and I are NOT a pair! We are teammates, nothing else. Even that thought makes me crazy! I could never want someone as conniving and twisted as him!" His face was slightly purple and he was breathing heavily, his finger pointed straight at Gaara. Gaara shrunk back into his chair, eyes wide at the sudden outburst.

"Well… I just assumed that… I'm sorry. I guess I should go." He got up from the chair and backed towards the door. Naruto dropped down onto his bed and started muttering under his breath. He suddenly looked up.

"He doesn't really care about me. He couldn't. He has no reason to. No one does. No one ever will." He said meekly. Gaara saw the intense hurt in his eyes, burning straight to his soul.

He turned to go out the door. "You should give him a chance. I know as well as you do that he wouldn't lie to you about something like that."

"You're so wrong. You couldn't be more wrong. I'm a lost cause. There is no reason for anyone to feel anything for me…" Naruto's voice trailed off into senseless murmurings of self deprecation. Shaking his head, Gaara opened the door and left, closing it softy behind him.

Naruto's hand ran up and down the bandages on his left arm. He stared hard at them, trying to resist the urge to tear them off. "One more. One more for every day I live. One more for each day wasted on someone as worthless as me." His fingers slid under the edge of the bandages.

He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes on each shoulder. _"Where the hell is he when I need him the most?"_

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_--Chakra Kitten _


	6. A Stalking Sensation

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 6**

_A Stalking Sensation_

"_Okay, keep it together, it can't be that hard. All she can do is reject you. Like that's new."_ Naruto took a deep breath. "Sakura, you look very pretty today." Naruto said with a smile, waving to her as he walked closer. Her eyes went wide and she blushed, staring at him in disbelief.

"Oh, thank you, Naruto." The initial shock wore off and she eyed him warily. "What kind of game are you playing now? You've never complimented me openly before... at least not without tripping all over your own tongue." She smirked and tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

He smiled yet again. "I have to be playing a game to notice such stunning beauty? I think not." He laughed inwardly at the awkward sentences falling from his lips.

"I get it! You've been reading Kakashi-Sensei's books again... haven't you?" She shook her head.

"No, no, I'm a changed man. Your inner goddess has awakened my senses." He bowed to her.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Naruto, stop it… you're killing me. Is Sasuke telling you what to say to me? Such a sly boy…" She looked around desperately, searching.

Naruto dropped to one knee suddenly, taking her hand in his. He pressed his lips to it gently. He felt the book slipping from his back pocket and reached around with his other hand to push it back down. He cleared his throat and tried to remember the words. "I can only hope that I – you, will allow me to, uh… court your—wait, no…um…" He took a deep breath. " I can only hope that you will accept my attempts to win your hand." He grinned like an idiot. _"It's a good thing I remembered that in time…I'm amazed I've held it together this long."_

Sakura looked down at him and blushed, unable to respond. She was in awe of this strange new Naruto, so completely enthralled that when Sasuke came into view, she didn't so much as look up.

"Oi… Naruto, didn't anyone ever teach you that girls have cooties?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep his voice even, the rage and jealousy over his love touching someone else burning fiercely.

Naruto stood up quickly and gave Sasuke a dirty look over his shoulder. He took Sakura quickly into his arms and leaned her back slightly, her shock clear on her face. He pressed his lips to hers softly.

After a few moments he thought _"Why don't I feel anything? What did Sasuke-bastard do to me!"_ He pulled back from the kiss slowly, the delight in her eyes overshadowing the doubt in his.

"Oh wow, Naruto, you were way serious." _"Hell Yeah! That was amazing! Screw chasing after sauce-bucket!" _Her eyes danced and she smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "Way too good to be true."

Sasuke's shocked expression phased from a dark dismay to a seething anger. "What the HELL do you think you are doing with _my_ Naruto, you ugly little toad?" He screamed suddenly, pointing at Sakura.

"What the HELL do you mean… _yours_?" he threw her arms around Naruto's neck and hugged him possessively. "He obviously wants me. So I guess _you're_ the toad."

There was a sudden _POOF_ between Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi appeared. "Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm late! My favorite book went missing and Iruka and I spent all morning looking for… oh…uh…" He suddenly noticed the electric tension between Sakura and Sasuke. "Well… What's going… on?"

Sasuke and Sakura instantly began screaming at each other and jumping up and down. Naruto sank to the ground between them, covering his ears.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down. One at a time, please." There was instant silence as he looked at each of them in turn. "Are you okay, Naruto?" Naruto nodded weakly, looking absolutely confused. "Sakura… you go first."

She smiled triumphantly. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. Well, toad boy over there seems to think that Naruto belongs to him—."

"He does! He's not yours because of a single kiss!" Sasuke butted in furiously.

"Same goes to you, frog lips." Sakura retorted. Sasuke fumed.

"How old are you two? Honestly." Kakashi asked, extremely perplexed. "And since when do you like Naruto anyway, Sakura?"

She sighed dreamily. "Oh…since forever. He's such an angel… a knight in shining armor." She gazed at Naruto with ultimate adoration in her eyes. Naruto stood up and edged away from her slowly.

"…Right…" Kakashi looked at Naruto. "What kind of drugs did you give this poor girl?"

"Nothing Kakashi-sensei, I promise. I just kissed her, just like in this book you left here yesterday…" Naruto took the book out of his back pocket and tossed it to Kakashi. He caught it and rubbed it against his cheek, then hugged it to his chest. A little embarrassed by his reaction, he tucked it quickly into a pocket.

"Ah… you should have known better… women have this silly weakness for romance… And anyway! Don't you know these are only for adults?" He looked at Naruto and tried not to smile. _"I don't think he can slack his way out of this one…" _

"Yeah… But, I didn't want someone like Konohamaru getting a hold of it. Imagine what that might have done." He sighed deeply. "Look what it's done to me…" He looked disdainfully down at the pink haired glob on his arm.

"What were you thinking? Did our conversation yesterday mean nothing to you? In one ear and out the other, eh? Sasuke really – wait… where did he go?" They both looked around but the dark haired Shinobi had vanished. "Look what you did. Be careful Naruto. He is extremely jealous. Don't leave her unguarded." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto sighed. _"I'm getting way more than I bargained with this one..." _ "Come on Sakura… let's head back to town."

"You are so amazing Naruto! I absolutely love ramen! How did you know?" Sakura had gabbed nonstop all the way from the training grounds, clinging to Naruto's left arm as though it would fall off if she let go. She dragged him to the ramen stand and sat down, pulling Naruto down onto the stool next to her.

Naruto began to feel light-headed and a distinct fear gnawed at his stomach. _"I can't leave her alone… but I REALLY don't want her to follow me home… You should have known better than to piss off an Uchiha… Idiot Naruto…" _He searched for something to say to her. "Oh, um… Do you like Miso?" He asked, turning to look at her. _"I have to be nice; I can't have both of them mad at me…"_

She seemed thrilled just to hear him speak. "Do you?" She asked. He nodded. "Oh, good! It's my absolute favorite!" _"Not really… but what the hell…"_ She thought, willing to give it a try. _"He has to know just how much I like him! Hell Yeah!" _"Two bowls of Miso ramen please, sir."

The ramen stand owner smiled and turned to prepare the soup, clueless to the suffering of the 'lucky' young man.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "So… Sakura… what do you have planned for tonight?" He asked as casually as possible. _"I sure hope it doesn't involve me…" _He smiled.

"Oh wow, Naruto. You are amazing! A date already?" She clung to his left arm again, causing the blood flow to stop. He winced.

"What, what?" He asked, looking down at her. _"This chick is crazy! No wonder Sasuke hates her!"_ "Uh… Sakura…" He started. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with what Naruto thought was insanity. "I... uh…" She batted her eyelashes and loosened her grip on his arm slightly. The feeling slowly returned to his fingers. _"I can't ditch her… I don't know what to do…" _"Will you go out with me to dinner tonight?"

Sakura squealed and sat up, hugging him around the neck. "Of course! You didn't even have to ask! You can come by and pick me up at 8!" She let go of him and kissed him on the cheek.

Two steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of them. Naruto sighed. _"I really don't feel like eating…"_ "Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere is fine with me. A long as we have a dark corner to… eat in."

Naruto cringed at the implications. "Uh… okay. I'll have to think about it. Tell you what, it will be a surprise."

She turned to her bowl of ramen. "You know me, I just love surprises… especially from you, Naruto."

He sighed and started eating.

Three hours later, Naruto stood outside Sakura's door, a picnic basket and blanket under his arm. He sighed heavily and knocked, looking down at the roses in his hand. _"Ino had better be right about this romantic crap…She better not have just said all that to sell me some flowers…This is so… troublesome." _

The door opened and Naruto looked up to see an older but still very pretty version of Sakura. "Oh, um…good evening, Mrs. Haruno. You're looking absolutely beautiful tonight. It's so easy to see where your daughter gets it." He pulled a rose out of the bouquet in his hand and handed it to her. She smiled.

"You're far too kind, Naruto. You make me feel like a teenager again."

"I only speak the truth. We can only hope she becomes half as beautiful as you. If she does, she will be blessed." He winked at her. "Is she ready yet?" He laughed mentally. _"That all sounds so weird coming out of my mouth…But Ino said it was always good to compliment her mother…"_

The sound of footsteps on the stairs caused Mrs. Haruno to turn around suddenly. "There you are. I was thinking of just leaving you here and going out this charming young man for you…" She laughed and walked inside. "Have fun you two…"

She stepped out of the way, leaving nothing between them. Sakura had worn a shimmering green dress that made her eyes glow. Naruto's chin dropped and his breath caught in his throat. _"She's… amazing…With her hair down like that... it's like... she's someone else entirely. So… beautiful."_

Sakura smiled and stepped up to him. "You like?" She spun in a circle, stopping to kiss him on the cheek. "Come on… let's go." She grabbed onto his arm, softly this time. She whispered in his ear, "It might help if you close your mouth and move your feet."

"Oh! Um… Yeah." He cleared his throat and took a few steps forward, turning back to shut the door behind them. "You look… Wow. Just absolutely gorgeous." He handed her the roses he had bought her.

She blushed and smiled wider. "You're so thoughtful…" She brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "I see the basket. Should we go over to the park?"

He blinked twice quickly, realizing she had talked to him. "Oh, um… yes. Let's go." He started walking towards the park. They were so engrossed in each other that neither of them seemed to notice the shadow that followed in their footsteps, the anger seething from every step it took.

**A few minutes later, at the park**

Sakura let go of Naruto's arm and took the basket from him. He smiled and started to spread out the blanket for them to sit on. When e was done they both took off their shoes and sat down, mere inches between them. She set the basket off to the side.

Naruto turned and looked at her. "So… I guess we should, um… Get to know each other better, right?" He smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll go first. What is your favorite color?" She giggled a little, amused at how simple the question was.

He laughed. "Orange… but sometimes I really like blue. What about you?"

"Red… But sometimes pink. Funny how that happens, huh? What is your favorite day of the week?"

"That's easy! Wednesday. Ramen is half-price!" They both laughed. "What's yours?"

She stopped laughing and looked down at her lap. "Well… I'm not sure anymore. It used to be Friday, because I used to try to follow a certain someone home. Someone that doesn't matter anymore… So that day really doesn't matter either." She looked up at him and smiled "From now on, it will be Tuesday, because today is a Tuesday... What kind of hobbies do you have?"

He shrugged. "I collect hats in the shape of animals… and I wear them to bed." He laughed. "I also make weird shapes out of Jell-o."

"What's the weirdest shape you have ever made?"

"My face." They both laughed again.

"I'm guessing that was an accident I'll have to hear about sometime. But that's not all that weird of a shape. It's… charming, really."

"Really?" He asked, realizing that he had leaned closer to her. A dark shape moved behind the tree closest to them, unnoticed by either of them.

"Really. In fact, I really like it. I hope to see a whole lot more of it in the future." She leaned a little closer to him.

"Believe me… You can." He whispered, closing the small gap between their lips. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You don't listen very well, do you, you obnoxious, annoying little twit?" boomed Sasuke's angry voice as he came around the tree, unable to contain his rage any longer. Naruto and Sakura both jumped, breaking the kiss. "I told you he was mine..." He reached for his kunai. "…Mine and mine alone. If I have to kill you, I will. Get away from him."

The two stood up, Sakura stepping in front of Naruto. "You don't own him, and I will not just leave him here with you."

"You have no reason to be here Sasuke. Just go home and leave us alone." Naruto stepped next to Sakura and grabbed her hand.

"You stay out of this, lover. My business is with the broad." He lifted his arm, aiming his kunai at her heart. "Get away from him. I mean it." She stayed in the same place, a determined look on her face. "I warned you, twice now. You leave me no choice." He threw the kunai.

Naruto pushed her out of the way and took the blade in his shoulder. Pulling the blade out, Naruto took a step forward, oblivious to the blood. "Get the hell out of here and leave us alone. I belong to no one. Get the hell away from me, before I get pissed off." He tossed the kunai at Sasuke's feet, his eyes glowing with the demon-fox's chakra.

"You are mine Uzumaki. Make no mistake. You can't hide from it. I will be there in your dreams, in your shadow, around every corner, everywhere you go." He picked up the kunai and vanished in a puff f smoke.

"Naruto… are you…I…Thank you." Sakura stepped forward and hugged him. He hugged her tightly to him, his shoulder tingling, already starting to heal.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about it. Let's get you home, where you'll be safe."

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--Chakra Kitten


	7. Place Values and Conversion

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters... Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 7 **

_Place Values and Conversion_

Naruto decided that after a month of having Sakura follow him around everywhere, it wasn't all that bad. _"People notice me now… It's like…I'm finally a person. Even Ino smiles at me when I pass her in the street. I like this feeling… a lot." _He smiled. _"I'm so glad Sakura finally likes me… I hope she's looking forward to spending the day with me."_ He looked up at the sun. _"Man, I'm late… I should hurry."_

He was three houses away from Sakura's front door when he felt an all too familiar presence behind him.

He turned, finding himself face to face with Sasuke.

"It's so nice to see you here, Uzumaki."

"I don't really wish I could say the same." Naruto said, stepping back from him. Sasuke took a step forward, putting himself back where he was, his face an inch from Naruto's.

"You can't run, and you can't hide. I've come to take what's mine." Sasuke smiled, with a malicious and evil twinge at the corners of his mouth. Naruto's eyes went wide with subconscious fear. "I've got you now." He leaned in and caught Naruto's mouth in a passionate kiss.

Naruto's body reacted the way he feared the most. His arms wrapped themselves around Sasuke's waist, pulling him closer. Sasuke made a pleased sound, running his hands down Naruto's back. _"I can't believe I'm going along with this…It just feels…right. I hope Sakura doesn't come outside any time soon…"_ He pulled back from the kiss and smiled. "Took you long enough, Uchiha." He hugged him, sighing softly as he leaned his head against Sasuke's shoulder. "I can't fight it any longer."

Sasuke leaned his head against Naruto's. "I think you're the one who took too long."

"Honestly, I think it was me who took too long." Came Sakura's voice, full of emotion. Naruto pulled back from the embrace and turned to look at her.

"I… I can't hide from myself. I really care about you… Both of you…" Naruto's voice trailed off, an uncomfortable silence growing between the three of them.

Sasuke stepped up behind Naruto. "You'll just have to learn your place. Can't you see that you never had a chance with MY Naruto?"

Naruto turned to face him. "You don't own me, Uchiha." He turned away from him and walked over to Sakura. "When _you_ learn _your_ place, we can try this again." He grabbed her hand and walked away, leaving a stunned silent Sasuke behind them.

Things were rather uneventful over the next few days. The only real difference was Sakura's marked change in attitude towards Naruto. She became caring, appreciative and very forgiving. She constantly asked him if he was happy, or if he felt boxed in. She was afraid of making him feel like she wanted to own him as well.

Naruto couldn't help but think about Sasuke on a constant basis, wondering if he made the right decision. He knew he couldn't give up on Sakura; she had been far too good to him and made him way too happy for that. He lost nights and nights of sleep, trying to figure out which way to go.

He was waiting on a bench on the bridge for Sakura, his legs absently swinging under him. He sighed and leaned back, looking up at the sky. "If only neither of them liked me… but then I'd be even worse off… "He sighed, staring back down at the ground.

"Why the long face?" Sakura asked, walking up to him.

"Oh..." He looked up. " I didn't hear you coming. How was your walk?"

"I told you not to do that."

"What?"

"Avoid my questions like that."

"Oh. Sorry. What was it again?"

Sakura sighed and sat down next to him, snuggling against his shoulder. "What's the matter?"

He looked down at her and smiled softly. "I'm just having a hard time deciding something."

"Does that something involve me?"

"What decision do I ever make that doesn't involve you?"

"Very true. Have you decided yet?"

"Yes." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. She tilted her head back slightly, running her tongue along his lower lip. He pulled back slowly, looking into her eyes.

"If your decision was whether to kiss me or not... I think you made the right choice." She smiled, leaning against his shoulder again. "You know, I could spend my whole life this way…"

"What? With your head all tilted to the side? That would be terrible for eating ramen."

She laughed, poking him softly in the ribs. "No, silly. Sitting next to you."

"Oh.. Yeah." He looked down at her again. "Me too." He smiled softly, putting his hand over hers. "These past few days have been great… I just hope you aren't sick of me yet."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Never."

"Oh, how touching. You know.. you two really should get a room." Sasuke said, walking up to them.

"Who invited you to crash our party?" Sakura asked, giving him the evil eye.

"I invited myself. Is there a problem with that?" He asked, walking over to the bench and taking a seat next to Naruto, pressing up against his side.

Naruto coughed and squirmed a little in his seat, putting an arm around each of them casually, not wanting one to feel left out. "So… What's… going on with everyone today?"

Sakura sighed and stood up. "I have somewhere I need to be. I guess I will see you two later."

"Wait.. no. Don't leave." _"Don't leave me alone with Uchiha…"_ "Where do you need to go? I…Uh…we can walk you." Naruto looked at her, his eyes pleading.

"No, it's alright." Her eyes flashed daggers at Sasuke. "I can handle myself, love. Don't worry about where I'm going. I'll be over at your place at 7. Don't forget." She leaned down and kissed his cheek then turned and walked away quickly.

"_Wonderful. Just lovely. I'm going to get mind raped." _ Naruto sighed and turned to look at Sasuke, whom he still had his arm around. "Well, I guess that just leaves us…"

Sasuke grinned evilly. "She doesn't need you until 7. Can I keep you company until then?" He leaned his head against Naruto's shoulder and looked up at him innocently.

Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes and his heart melted, butterflies coursing through him once again. "I guess so… Just behave yourself." He leaned down and kissed Sasuke's cheek. "I mean it."

"Promise. I'll be a good little boy." Sasuke stood up and held his hand out to help Naruto up. Naruto took his hand and allowed him to help. Sasuke pulled a little too hard and Naruto fell over, pressing his body against Sasuke's. Naruto blushed, standing up straight.

"You said you were going to be good."

"Oh, I will. Just let me get you alone… You'll see just how good it can be." He leaned over and kissed right below Naruto's ear.

Naruto stepped back quickly, blushing a deep red. "You are just cruel, you know that?" Sasuke smiled and grabbed Naruto's hand.

"Come on." He started walking, pulling Naruto along behind him.

"Where are we going?"

"I have you for three hours. I'd give anything to get you naked." Sasuke said, laughing a little.

"What!" Naruto said, struggling to keep up with his captor.

"You'll see when we get there. Don't be such a baby, lover."

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--Chakra Kitten


	8. Extracurricular Activities

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 8**

_Extracurricular Activities_

"I could charge you with kidnapping, you know." Naruto said, yanking his hand away from Sasuke and stopping to catch his breath.

"You wouldn't dare. After all, we're going to have _so_ much fun." He stepped closer to Naruto again, batting his eyes.

"Gah! You're being so damn weird lately." Naruto stepped back, shaking his head. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Does something have to be wrong with me? I can't help the way I feel." He grabbed Naruto's hand again with a malicious grin. "You're wasting my precious time." Naruto made a disgusted noise and allowed Sasuke to pull him along the darkening streets.

"You could at least tell me where we are going…" Came Naruto's voice, just after he tripped over a loose paving stone.

Sasuke stopped suddenly, Naruto running into his back. "We're here." He turned back to Naruto and smiled his usual evil smile. "Are you ready?" He pulled Naruto through the doorway.

Naruto looked around frantically, trying to find an identifying mark in his surroundings. His eyes went wide in recognition. "The baths? Are you crazy? The perverted hermit might try to look at us!"

Sasuke turned back yet again and smiled, stepping closer to him. "You don't think it would be fun to have someone watch us?" He ran his fingers up the front of Naruto's jacket and pulled down on the zipper. He ran his hands up to Naruto's shoulders under the jacket and pushed the jacket off, catching it and tossing it over his arm.

Naruto stammered, unable to form words to explain his mix of emotions.

"I'll take your stunned silence as acceptance. Do you want me to undress you here or would you like to go into a dressing room?" He licked his lips, studying Naruto very carefully.

"Oh…um… Let's go in." Naruto started walking towards the men's dressing rooms, a silent Sasuke studying his posterior as he followed behind. Naruto headed for the nearest stall, hoping to get it closed in time for Sasuke to be left outside.

Naruto was suddenly shoved into the nearest stall, Sasuke following him in and latching the door behind them. Naruto flew a short distance, tripping over the bench against the back wall, his behind in the air.

Sasuke stepped up behind him, placing his hands on Naruto's hips. "You shouldn't leave yourself in such… delicious positions."

Naruto made an odd squealing noise, scrambling to get away from Sasuke. He finally found his way out. He dropped to his knees on the floor and pushed out backwards, between Sasuke's legs. Sasuke stood there for a second, not beliving what he just saw. "Flexible, aren't we?" He turned with his characteristic smirk in place. "What's wrong, scaredy-cat?" He stepped closer to Naruto and put out his hand, offering him help.

Naruto took his hand cautiously. "I have every reason to be scared of you, Sasuke." He stood up with Sasuke's help. He smiled a little bit.

Sasuke slid his fingers under the bottom edge of Naruto's shirt. "You aren't of any use to me with your clothes on." He tugged upward, pulling the shirt off.

"You think you are useful to me in any condition?" Naruto asked, taking off Sasuke's shirt as well. He looked Sasuke up and down slowly, liking what he saw a little too much. Sasuke looked down in surprise.

"I think I just proved my usefulness…" He reached down and rubbed the front of Naruto's pants.

"Gah!" Naruto stepped back again. "Stop that, you pervert!"

"You're the one with the hard-on." He smiled evilly and leaned down, pressing his lips to Naruto's. His hands ran down to the front of Naruto's pants, unfastening them. The baggy material slipped to the floor. Naruto pressed himself against the door behind him, pulling back from the kiss. He reached down and unfastened Sasuke's pants, pushing them to the floor.

"And now you have one." Naruto was the one with the evil smile this time. He ran his fingers over the bulge in Sasuke's boxers, feeling the strain of the material. His hand flew backwards and he pulled it behind himself. "We ..uh.. Should go get in the water." He tugged his own shorts off and turned away from Sasuke, stepping out of them. He reached up and grabbed two towels off the shelf and tossed one over his shoulder to Sasuke. "Put that on and meet me out there." He tied his around his waist and unlatched the door. "Hurry up." He left the stall, leaving a very aroused and mostly naked Sasuke behind.

Naruto walked out to the side of the bath and sighed, walking down the steps into the water. He walked to the far side and sat down on the bench, the water coming up to his chin.

Sasuke peeked around the corner, looking for other occupants. When he saw none, he came running around the bend. Naruto's eyes went wide and he pressed himself against the wall. "Where is your towel? You can't be serious…" Sasuke walked to the edge of the water and smiled at Naruto.

"I left it back there. Towels are for drying things off." He stepped into the water and walked over to Naruto, sitting next to him. Naruto scooted a few inches away, afraid of touching Sasuke somewhere uninvited. Sasuke scooted closer to him and put a hand on Naruto's knee, grabbing the towel. He yanked upward sharply and Naruto stood up quickly, afraid of getting rug burn. He turned back and glowered at Sasuke, who tossed the towel onto a nearby chair. "There, now we're even."

Naruto sat down again and sighed. "You are evil. Pure evil." Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's knee again, making him jump.

"Why so edgy? It's not like I'm hurting you… yet." He leaned down and kissed the side of Naruto's neck, snuggling against his side. Naruto struggled to keep himself from running away or screaming. He settled on placing his hand on top of Sasuke's. He moved Sasuke's hand slowly up his own thigh.

A splashing noise made them both look towards the fence between the women's and men's sections. They heard three distinct sets of laughter and more splashing. "Stop that, Ino! You can be such a bitch sometimes." More laughter and splashing.

"So, Sakura… Are you really just using Uzumaki to get to Uchiha? That's what Chouji and Shikamaru think." Came Ino's obnoxious voice. Naruto stiffened visibly, moving closer to the fence to hear better. Sasuke moved with him.

"Kiba thinks so too, or at least that's what he said last night over dinner." Came a much softer Hinata.

"What? No way. I couldn't do that to Naruto. He's way too sweet. I mean. Uchiha is super sexy and all that… but I don't think he has a heart under all that muscle. Way too macho and way too rough. He kind of bothers me… the way he can't seem to let go of his past." Sakura said, her voice fading a little at the end.

Sasuke looked down at his lap and moved an inch or two from Naruto. Naruto turned and grabbed Sasuke's hand, squeezing it softly.

"Wow, Sakura. Are you sure you're not making this all up? Uzumaki can't be that great. He must be great in bed though. With an ass like that… damn." Ino said with a laugh. Naruto turned scarlet and shrunk back against the wall.

"He is quite cute." Hinata said, blushing a little herself. Naruto's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

"I've never done anything like that with him, geez, Ino. You can be such a pervert sometimes. But really… I don't think I would mind it so much if it happened. But I doubt it will… He's so timid sometimes… He makes Hinata seem outgoing."

"Hey… I'm outgoing… sometimes."

"Yeah, only when Kiba is around. You're real outgoing… with his mouth." Ino said, laughing.

Another round of laughter and splashing followed for what seemed forever.

Sasuke relaxed a little bit and put his arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Don't listen to them anymore. Women can be so stupid sometimes." He turned and started kissing and nibbling on Naruto's ear.

"Gah! Uh.. Sasuke.. Do you ever turn off?" He looked at him from the corner of his eye.

Sasuke mumbled, his face buried on Naruto's neck. "Of course not. You're just… delicious."

Both of them looked up when the splashing stopped.

"Hey Ino, Hinata. We should go on a group date. You could bring Kiba and Chouji. It would be great. I'll bring Naruto… but you know that mean's we will have an odd one out. Our stalker will undoubtedly follow."

"Stalker?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah. Sasuke seems to think he owns Naruto and can't accept that Naruto likes me. He's a little obsessive."

"Gee, sounds like someone else I know." Ino said with an evil giggle. "Sakura used to worship the ground Sasuke walked on… and now _he's_ stalking _her_. That's great."

"He's not stalking me. He's stalking Naruto."

There was a deafening silence.

"HE'S GAY? I thought you were joking about the owning him thing.. I never thought…" Ino was left without words for once.

Hinata laughed quietly. "Seems like right after I give up on Naruto, everyone else has to like him."

All three girls laughed, Ino a bit more reserved than usual.

"I will call you guys later tonight. I've got to go to Naru's first. He's decided to invite me over for dinner." Sakura said. A few quieter splashes were followed by the sound of wet feet on concrete.

"Be careful. You'll probably be eating ramen. Four courses of it. Maybe some dipped in chocolate." Ino said, her voice becoming quieter as the three of them went into the dressing rooms.

"Bah, I'm not going to serve her ramen. She gets to have…uh… I'll just order out." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I can cook. I'll help if you like…" Sasuke said, standing up. "Come on, let's go to the store." He grabbed Naruto by the hand and pulled him up.

"Wha? O…okay. But you have to stay out of sight once she shows up."

"Not like I want to look at her anyway." He started walking to the stairs, pulling Naruto behind him once again.

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--Chakra Kitten


	9. An Orange Surprise

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 9**

_An Orange Surprise_

Sakura stared at the paving stones beneath her feet as she walked, Ino's words echoing in her mind. _"So, Sakura… Are you really just using Uzumaki to get to Uchiha? That's what Chouji and Shikamaru think." _ She sighed and looked up from the ground. _"Am I? Do I really like him or am I just using him? Am I really over Sasuke?" _She stopped walking, looking at the stores lining both sides of the street. "I really care about Naruto. There is no question about that." People walking by stared at her. She started walking again slowly. "I have to show him how much I care about him…" She looked up at the stores as she passed them, looking for a place to get something Naruto would enjoy.

"I know! I'll pick something up for dessert…" She turned into the next shop that had food.

"Gah! Uzumaki, you really have no clue what you are doing, do you?" Came Sasuke's voice from the produce section. She turned and looked quickly, dodging behind a display of oranges. "You will never make _anyone_ happy only knowing how to make instant ramen!" She peeked around the fruit to see Sasuke leaning against Naruto's back, pointing out the different vegetables.

"Naruto, you are truly a dunce of the kitchen!" Sasuke exclaimed as Naruto knocked over a few bunches of sugar peas.

"Leave me alone about it, Uchiha! I've never had the money to buy anything but ramen, and I've never had a good reason." She frowned, watching Sasuke grind himself against Naruto's behind as he picked out a few more things. It made her blood boil to think about it. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and grabbed an orange from the stack. She threw it as hard as she could, aiming at the back of Sasuke's arrogant skull.

It landed with a loud THWAK and a sickening squish. Sasuke reeled and fell backwards, his head spinning. Naruto turned and looked around, trying to spot the culprit.

"HEY! Who threw that! You missed! I know you were aiming for me damn it!" Screamed Naruto. He dropped to his knees at Sasuke's side. Sakura turned back around, hiding behind the orange display again.

"Hell yeah! Perfect shot! Took the bastard out." She looked up and saw someone heading towards the produce section and took off, running happily down the street.

**Thirty minutes later, in Naruto's apartment**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Naruto asked, handing Sasuke his second ice pack.

"I'm fine. Forget it. We have to get cooking if you intend to be ready in time for her." Sasuke stood up, holding the ice to the back of his head.

"You know I have no clue about anything we're making, right?" Naruto walked to the stove.

"This stuff is easy… It's more Chinese than Japanese, but my mom used to make food like this for me all the time." His eyes glazed over for a minute at his words and he stared off into space.

"Sasuke?" Naruto put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke shook his head and looked down at Naruto. "Oh...Yeah." He walked over to the fridge and started pulling out various items. "Do you have any flour? We will need it for this dough. Oh, and I need chicken stock."

Naruto walked over to the cabinets and started moving stuff around. He spotted the flour in the back and reached for it. "Do you need anything else that might be in here?" He asked, muffled by the cabinet door in his face.

"Uhm, yeah, actually. I need some cornstarch." He finished chopping up some cabbage and then moved on to some ground pork.

Naruto came over with a container of flour, a box of cornstarch and three cans of chicken stock. "It's a good thing I keep these things on hand for when I make ramen from scratch…" He looked at the vegetables on the cutting board like they offended him. "What are you making?"

"Pot stickers. No woman can resist them. No man either, for that matter." Sasuke said, continuing to chop vegetables. "Can you find me a couple of bowls? One a little bigger than a ramen bowl and the other about twice that size."

"Yeah, no problem. I have bowls of all sizes and shapes to make Jell-o in." He dropped down to the floor and began searching through the cabinets of bowls for the proper sizes. He pulled out a couple and placed them up on the counter. "Need anything else?"

"Water chestnuts." Sasuke never looked up from the cutting board. "Whole is preferred, then I can cut them to a size I like."

Naruto began searching through the cabinets again. "Anything else? You seem distracted."

"Chicken flavored instant rice, a couple packages of chicken instant ramen, eggs, green onions and a couple of different sauces. You'll have to be in the fridge to get them all... I know you'll forget." He smiled and looked over at Naruto, who had boxes, cans and packages in his hands.

"Okay.. that's the ramen, rice and water chestnuts." Naruto said as he set them down. He walked to the fridge and began rummaging through his crisper drawers, which were now full, thanks to Sasuke.

The next hour passed rather uneventfully, a calm peace flowed through the two boys, happily working together in silence. Naruto learned how to properly handle a knife and how to make various Chinese and Japanese dishes.

While they were plating the food, there was a knock on Naruto's front door. He looked over at his clock. "7 already? Man she drives me crazy, always on time like that." He looked at Sasuke, who was setting three places at the table. "Um… What are you doing?"

"Sharing." Was Sasuke's simple answer, which was very disturbing to Naruto. "I can't keep you all to myself… and neither can she."

"You are so weird…" Naruto walked over to the door and unlocked it. He pulled the door open. Sakura smiled as she laid eyes on Naruto.

"Wow, it smells amazing in there… Did you hire a professional chef?" She stepped inside.

"Sort of…" Naruto said, closing the door behind her.

Sasuke came back into the main room, out of the bathroom. "I'm flattered."

Sakura's chin dropped to the floor. "Wha—What are you doing here!"

"Cooking. And then I plan on eating. What about you?" Sasuke asked, placing various containers and plates of food on the table. "Relax and come sit down." He pulled out a chair for Sakura, who moved numbly towards the table. She sat down and he pushed the chair in. He did the same for Naruto when he took the seat to the left of Sakura.

"Well… This all looks great… Don't you think, Sakura?" Naruto said, trying to get her to think about the food and not their unexpected guest.

"Yeah, it does. I'm impressed. You did all this for me…" She smiled and looked at him.

"I had help… But it was definitely for you." He smiled back, moving a glass on the table closer to her. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water, if it's okay."

"No problem, do you want ice?" Naruto asked, standing up.

"Please."

He went over to the freezer and opened it. "Damn it." He shut the door. "I'm out. I'll be right back." He set her glass on the counter and reached for his jacket as he turned towards the door. He pulled it open and looked back at them. "See you two in a few… play nice." He eyed Sasuke, giving him a I-Mean-It look. He left, closing the door behind him.

Walking down the street, he sighed, happy to be out of the stressful situation in his apartment. "I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with them." He walked towards the nearest store.

**Back in Naruto's apartment**

"So… How are the rice-cakes?" Sasuke asked, trying to break the ice.

"They are delicious, kind of like fried rice." She answered. Looking him straight in the eye. "What are your intentions with Naruto?" She asked suddenly, setting her chopsticks down on a napkin.

He set his down as well and sighed. "I don't know yet. I love him. I can't handle the thought of not having him… What about you?"

"I feel the same. If I didn't have him… I'd still be so lost…" She sighed and picked up her chopsticks again, moving a piece of chicken around in a pool of stir-fry sauce. "We need to co-exist in his life and stop being so selfish. I know I've been a bitch… I'm sorry… I just can't help wanting him all to myself... He's so sweet and innocent…"

"So bright and pure… I know what you're saying… I'm sorry too. We really need to grow up and think about what's best for him." Sasuke answered, moving his chair closer to hers.

"We should wait for him to finish eating…" She put her chopsticks down again and turned sideways on her chair, looking him in the eyes.

"You don't suppose we…" Sasuke asked, leaning towards her a little.

"Yeah…Just to see. We have to know." She leaned even closer, feeling his warm breath on her face.

Sasuke closed the gap between them, kissing her firmly on the lips. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stood up slowly, moving closer together. His hands ran down her sides and around the small of her back, his fingers lightly grazing the inch of skin that showed beneath her shirt. She pressed herself against him, running her fingers up through his hair.

Sasuke ran his hands down, over her behind and squeezed it softly, making her press harder against him. Sasuke was shocked to find his body reacting to her in the same way it did to Naruto and he couldn't resist the opportunity to know what it would have been like to be with her.

The deadbolt on the door turned, but neither of them heard it. They were so lost in each other that when Naruto opened the door, neither of them moved.

The bag of ice hit the floor with a loud CRASH and ice flew all over the room.

"I knew it, Ino _was_ right about you two."

Sasuke and Sakura pushed themselves away from each other and looked towards the doorway, but Naruto was long gone.

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--Chakra Kitten


	10. Familiar Friends

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 10**

_Familiar Friends_

Naruto ran down the street, pulling up his sleeves. The bandages were gone, only fresh scars remained of his previously favorite pastime. The happiness he had had the past month had made him forget all that had happened to him. But he remembered it all clearly now. The pain hit him like a knife to the heart.

The normal throngs of people were absent, replaced with an abnormally quiet night. A cool breeze passed Naruto's face as he slowed to a brisk walk. He looked up at the full moon for a moment, and then back down at his now bare arms. Fading white and deep pink lines broke up the silken canvas of peach flesh.

"One more for each day I live. One for each wasted breath I take. One more for every lie I hear. One more for all the times someone has been disgusted at the sight of me. Another for the wasted life that was given to me… I have no Purpose." His hand went to his kunai holster. "So damn worthless. So damn pointless. No one needs me!" Tears began streaming down his face.

"No one loves me. Not Sakura, not even god-damn Sasuke. It's all a lie. Everything was a fucking lie!" He dropped suddenly to his knees, pulling the kunai from its place. The steel was cold against his flushed skin, a sensation he was all too used to, almost missed.

"Was I born just to suffer? To die, cold and alone?" He pulled the blade hard against his wrist, the stinging sensation abated almost instantly by flowing blood. "Why me? Why not someone else? Why was I chosen to host this demon?" He placed the blade to his skin again, blood flowing freely down his arm.

"Stop!" Came two voices loudly as one. Naruto looked up suddenly, seeing Sakura and Sasuke running towards him. "You don't understand, Naruto!"

"I understand enough. You were using me. You two want each other and I am just some usable resource in your way. You want nothing to do with me anymore." He tensed the hand holding the kunai, ready to cut again.

They both dropped to their knees at his sides.

Sasuke grabbed the kunai from Naruto's hand and tossed it away. "I love you, Naru-chan. You have to believe me."

Before Naruto could respond, Sasuke kissed him fiercely on the lips, He pulled back and Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's cheek.

"We were doing it for you." Naruto made a disgusted sound. "We know we can't make you happy fighting all the time… So we decided to drop our differences and get along. I love you too, Naruto…" She leaned in and kissed him, rubbing her fingers against the side of his face.

Sasuke tore off a piece of his shirt and tied it around Naruto's wrist, just tight enough to stop the bleeding. Naruto pulled back from Sakura.

"You guys… both…?" He looked first to Sakura and then to Sasuke, who nodded slowly. " I don't know… you two never get along…" Sasuke leaned in, as if to kiss Naruto again. Sakura leaned in as well. They met in the middle, Naruto's tears falling down all three faces. Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand behind Naruto's back and they hugged Naruto together. He smiled.

The three of them kissed softly, exploring the next chapter in their lives.

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--Chakra Kitten


	11. Past, Present and Future

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 11**

_Past, Present and Future_

Six months had passed since Sakura and Naruto had moved into Sasuke's giant empty house, deep within the desolate Uchiha district. After the first five months of intensive renovation and decorating, all at Sasuke's expense, of course, Sakura was nearly satisfied with her new home. The one thing that still bothered her was the one room she hadn't been allowed to touch. It had belonged to Sasuke's parents, and he refused to let her in or even explain why it had to stay the same.

"He's worse than the beast. It's not like there's an enchanted rose that protects his life in there or anything… He's driving me crazy." Sakura said, setting the re-heated plate of fried rice in front of Naruto. "He's being a real creep about it." She grabbed her own plate and pulled out the chair to Naruto's left and sat down with a sigh.

"You haven't figured out why he doesn't want us in there yet?" Naruto mumbled through large bites of rice. "I mean… it's kind of obvious." He choked on the mouthful he hadn't finished before he shoved another in.

Sakura took his chopsticks from his hand and patted his back. "Don't be such a pig... I'll have to start calling you Chouji." Handing his chopsticks back, she sighed, staring down at her plate. "I have no idea why he won't let me at least open the doors… I'm sure it's all musty and gross in there." She stared at her food, eating mindlessly.

"Sakura-chan, some things should be left alone. That's the room his parents were—EH! Good morning sleepyhead!" Naruto changed subject quickly as a very tired looking Sasuke came stumbling into the room. "You want some breakfast? We've got leftovers from the party last night. The few things Chouji didn't finish off…" He stood up and helped Sasuke into the seat on his right.

"Oi, I'm awake… lay off." Sasuke said, his head hitting the table in front of him as he suddenly lurched forward. "Oh god, why is it so bright in here? My head is killing me…" Sasuke cradled his head in his arms, laying down on the table.

"I think you had a little too much Sake last night, Mr. Uchiha." Sakura said, standing up. "You finish eating, Naruto. I'll get him something that will help with a hangover…" She walked over to the cupboards and started rummaging through them. "You know what you missed last night wile you were puking your brains out?" She pulled out a few kinds of tea and set them on the counter.

A flatly mumbled "What?" Came from the face pressed to the tabletop.

Sakura looked over her shoulder he him. "Poor baby… peppermint or orange blossom? I know you want the orange, Naruto." She said, silencing the boy before he could utter a word.

"Mint." Came the same muffled voice.

"You missed Kiba's proposal to Hinata. It was adorable. Who knew that girl had so many words in her. She just mumbled on and on about puppies and stared at the ring on her finger like she had no clue why it was there…" Sakura grabbed three glasses from the cupboard. "I hope you don't mind this silly bagged stuff, I haven't had time to go out and get real tea lately." She acted as though she hadn't just casually passed over some life-changing news.

"I don't care. Just something warm… I need quiet.. and dark…" Sasuke mumbled again. He looked up at her. "Make sure people know they have to pay to reserve my living room as a party-hut next time, okay? No more proposals and definitely no more drinking…" He put his hands up and started rubbing his temples. "Ugh…"

"I didn't think she's say yes… She didn't hit me as the dog type of person." Naruto said, trying not to make a big deal out of Sasuke's problem, knowing that it would only make things worse. "She seemed kinda distracted last night, ya know?"

"She was just in shock…If someone asked me to marry them; I'd be in shock too…." Sakura sighed and set a steaming cup of tea in front of both boys. She sat down with her own cup in hand and looked out the kitchen window, sighing softly.

"The three of us could get married together… That would be fun." Naruto said, quickly taking a long drink of his tea.

Sakura choked on hers and set her cup down, looking at Naruto. "Wha.. what? You mean… Me, marry both of you?" She gave an un-easy glance towards Sasuke's morning hair. "I don't… know…"

Incoherent mumbling came from the dark-haired blob on the table.

"Sasuke, you're not drinking your tea…" Naruto said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke lifted his head slightly and put a hand on his glass. "You like mint. No, you love mint. Speaking of mint.. I want to make more Jell-o today." Naruto said, taking another sip of his tea.

"What? How does your mind go from mint to Jell-o? You are so crazy, Naruto-kun." Sakura tried to keep the thoughts of marriage out of her head, and failed miserably. She sighed again and ran her finger along the top of her tea cup.

Sasuke sat up and took a drink of his tea; avoiding the eyes of both the room's other occupants.

"Well… I guess I'll go and get ready." Naruto said, standing up quickly. He pushed his chair in and placed his cup next to the sink. He ran off towards the bedroom, kissing Sakura on the cheek as he passed.

"We could do it, you know." Sasuke said, standing up and pushing his chair in. He headed the same direction Naruto had taken.

Sakura stared at his back in disbelief as he walked away from her.

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--Chakra Kitten


	12. Unexpected Invitations

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 12**

_Unexpected Invitations_

Naruto looked down at the list in his hand and sighed, pushing his way through the crowds of people. "I don't know if I can carry this all home by myself… We eat so much rice. It's a good thing Sasuke is so rich…" He pouted slightly and continued down the street. "I wonder if the old man is at the ramen stand today...I'll have to stop by and see." He said, a slightly disturbing glee creeping into his voice.

He continued walking, staring down at the list. "What does she need more paint for? She's already painted everything in the house twice…" He frowned slightly. "I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means…" Naruto had been talking to himself and staring at his list, instead of watching those around him. At the very moment he bumped face-first into something slightly stiff.

"GAH!" He stumbled backwards and his hand flew into his pocket, putting the list away. "Watch where you're—" His eyes finally registered on what he had bumped into. "Gaara! You're back in town? How are you doing?"

The blank expression on Gaara's face told him he hadn't forgotten their last conversation. "I'm…okay." He edged away uneasily, looking towards the entryway of the nearest shop.

Naruto seemed oblivious to Gaara's avoidance. "So… how's Lee?" He asked, stepping a little closer to his friend.

Gaara visibly relaxed and let out a deep breath. "Oh… he's great. We're in town visiting… we just started up a wedding planning business and we heard there was going to be a big one soon…" He shrugged. "We have no idea who's though."

"The only people I heard about getting engaged were Hinata and Kiba. He finally got up the nerve to ask her… They've been together for almost three years…"He smirked, the action reminiscent of Sasuke. "I think they are a good couple… she's a little too shy for me and he's just too…rough."

Gaara smiled at the implication. "So… How's the…rest…of your life going? Are you seeing anyone?" Gaara held his breath, slightly fearful of the previous explosion repeating itself. He didn't think his tender spirit could take another of Naruto's beatings.

"Oh, I'm—we're doing great. Sakura has been on a cleaning rampage and Sasuke just hands her money until she passes out. Then he and I stay up watching old kung-fu movies." Naruto smiled, remembering the late nights he had spent in Sasuke's arms.

The blank stare on Gaara's face broke Naruto back into the present.

"Oh, that's right, you don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed lightly. "Sakura and I moved into Sasuke's house, about six months ago. We all have our own rooms, but they are in a circle and they all share this humongous bathroom in the center. It's really awesome… you should come and see it…" His voice faded as he realized that he had pushed Gaara into a state of slight shock.

"You...and...her… and him…" The Redhead stammered.

Naruto laughed. "Come by for dinner tonight with Gai. We are having Hinata and Kiba over as well… It will be a good opportunity to slip them a card."

The change of conversation brought Gaara back to reality. "That would be good. I'm supposed to meet Gai in that shop over there in about ten minutes. Should I help you shop until then?"

"Yeah. That would be good. I wasn't sure I could carry it all." He let the rest of the list drop down until it touched the ground. "She sure wants a lot of stuff for dinner tonight." He pouted a little and sighed.

"Geez. Feeding an army?"

"No.. just Chouji."

**Thirty minutes later, outside the flower shop…**

"There is no way I'll be able to make it all the way into the Uchiha district by myself with all this stuff. Do you two want to come over to dinner early? Maybe you can help me set the table." Naruto said, hoping Lee and Gaara would accept his invitation.

Lee and Gaara looked at each other and sighed. Lee spoke up first. "I don't think we have any choice, Gar. I just hope Sakura will be okay with the extra guests."

Gaara shrugged. "Let's go."

The three of them headed towards the Uchiha District.

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Sorry about the short chapter, I know everyone was looking forward to a good update.. but I am in the middle of a brain-strain. SORRY!

Does anyone have any random ideas for where this could all go? I have the basics, I just need a little variation of plot here and there. Any tips or pointers would be much appreciated and loved!

--Chakra Kitten.


	13. Under Control

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 13**

_Under Control_

"Of course its fine, you worry too much. I was going to have to cook a lot of food anyway." Sakura turned away from Naruto and headed back into the kitchen to work on preparations for dinner. "They _will _have to help out, of course. They probably set a table better than you ever could, Naruto." She smiled and shook her head, remembering the last time Naruto failed miserably at setting the table.

"Hey, hey! I wasn't that bad! Geez." Naruto said, coming around the corner. "It's not like I put the plates upside down or anything." He made a pouty face.

Sakura turned and faced him, struggling to hold in a laugh. "Sweetie, you put the chopsticks in the water glases and their napkins on their chairs. Not to mention you forgot to put out soup bowls… Among so many other things…" She smiled and shook her head again. "You got everything I showed you backwards."

"Yeah, well… you make everything so complicated and...and…" He trailed off and pouted again.

"Is she picking on you again?" Sasuke said, stepping into the room, wearing only a towel. He came up behind Naruto and wrapped his arms around his waist. He pressed his lips to Naruto's neck and whispered, "Should we beat her for it?"

Lee cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling.

Sasuke turned and looked over at the pair standing in the doorway. Suddenly clinging tighter to Naruto's back he stammered,"H-how are you two doing?"

Lee looked down at the floor. "Oh..uh..we're good. I guess. Looks like you guys are all..um.. good too."

"Yes...well... Um.. I think it might be best if I uh.. and.. you know..." Sasuke backed out of the room, shutting the door quickly behind him.

Naruto cleared his throat. He turned and walked through the kitchen, grabbing two handfuls of chopsticks as he headed to the dining room. "So… how long are you two planning to stay in town?" He began placing them at each setting.

Gaara and Lee turned to the stacks of other dishes waiting to be set. Gaara walked to the stack of large plates on the counter and picked them up.

"Just as long as it takes to get the contract and see the wedding through." He began placing the plates neatly on the table, scooting Naruto's badly placed chopsticks aside.

"You make it sound like we are all business and no fun. I was hoping we could make it a permanent move…" Lee said, grabbing a stack of smaller plates and following suit, placing them on the larger ones.

Gaara turned and looked at him. "You know I have my other… business to attend to.." He set the next plate down and stared at it.

"I know.. but… I'm sure we could make it work…" Lee said, absently straightening another set of badly placed chopsticks.

Naruto returned to the counter for the water glasses, the uncomfortable silence beyond his capacity to repair.

"If you guys want to stay here while you're in town, it's fine with me." Came Sasuke's voice from under the towel he was drying his hair with. "And I'd be glad to let you forward any mail or anything like that to the house." He held the towel at his side and shook his head vigorously, his now dry hair falling perfectly into place.

Gaara continued to stare at the plate. Lee spoke up suddenly.

"We would love to, you're far too kind." He kept his eyes on Sasuke's face, afraid he would imagine him all wet in just a towel.

"Then it's settled. I have the perfect room in mind for you two. After we finish in here I'll show you." Sasuke walked over and kissed Naruto on the cheek and grabbed the remaining water glass from his hand. "I'll take care of this, why don't you go and make sure the game room is all in order."

"Okay…" Naruto seemed to be deep in thought as he walked towards the hallway. He stopped in place and turned to face the rest of them. "Should I make sure the guest bathroom is clean too?"

"Yeah. That would be good." Sakura said, turning away from the hot pans in front of her for just long enough to smile at him.

"Okay… See you guys later." He disappeared around the corner.

"He sure seemed like he had something on his mind…" Lee said, grabbing the stack of napkins.

"Yeah." Said Gaara, finally looking up from the plate. "I need to talk to you for a minute…" He turned and walked towards the doorway into the living room, Lee following closely behind.

Sasuke walked up behind Sakura and hugged her tightly. "You sure this party is a good idea? Everyone seems to be a little weird today."

"It will all work out. Just relax. I have it all under control." She turned her head and kissed him softly on the lips.


	14. Party Night

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 14**

_Party Night_

Sakura set the last plate of appetizers out on the buffet and sighed heavily.

"I'm sure I made enough for Chouji this time…" Her eyes scanned the tabletop once more for anything that seemed out of place. Spotting yet another pair of misplaced chopsticks, she sighed and walked to the other side of the table. "Can't even set them down straight…. What am I going to do with him?" She mumbled, straightening them absently.

"Everything on my list is taken care of." Naruto said, walking into the dining room. Sakura looked up at him and smiled.

"Good. Should we go make sure Sauce-face finished his?" She held her hand out to him.

"Definitely." He took her hand and they walked towards the hallway. They turned around the corner and headed into the master bedroom wing.

They stopped in front of Sasuke's bedroom door, both of them hesitating to knock.

Naruto stepped forward and knocked softly, Sakura stepping up next to him. A faint "Come in." echoed from the far side of the room.

Naruto opened the door and walked inside, followed closely by Sakura. They looked around for a moment, but Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

"Hey… where are you?" Naruto called out, stepping further into the room Clothes suddenly began flying out of the closet to their right, startling them.

"In here." Sakura looked at Naruto with an _'I-don't-believe-this'_ look on her face.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked as he walked closer to the closet, barely dodging another torrent of clothing flying at his head.

"I'm trying to find the right shirt… I don't know where I put …" He turned and faced Naruto, his final words forgotten. "You little snot! You came into my room… without my permission." He grabbed a handful of Naruto's collar. "No wonder I couldn't find it.. you're wearing it!" He dropped his hands to his sides and sighed.

"I'm sorry.. I just thought that .. you know… it was okay to share…" Naruto said, pulling the shirt off over his head. Handing it to Sasuke, he turned towards the giant circular bathroom that connected their three bedrooms.

"Naruto… " Sakura said, walking towards him.

"We share everything else, so a shirt shouldn't be a big deal..." Naruto said.

"It shouldn't be. I don't know why it is." Sakura said, giving Sasuke a slightly dirty look. He gave her a dirty look back and sighed, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. It's no big deal." Sasuke said, walking towards them. "Will you forgive me for overreacting?" He stepped closer to Naruto.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, hugging Sasuke tightly. Sakura walked over to Sasuke's bed and sat down.

Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes and smiled. "I can't stay mad at either of you…" He released his hold and walked over to sit next to Sakura. Sasuke followed closely behind, sitting next to Naruto.

Sasuke and Sakura leaned in to kiss Naruto at the same time. The three of them kissed with an ease that came from practice. Sakura broke the kiss first, ready to make a million excuses.

"I would love to sit here and do this all day… but the guests could arrive at any minute an --" She was suddenly cut off by a demanding kiss from Sasuke, who had climbed onto Naruto's lap to reach her easier. She made a small noise as if to protest, but got lost in the rush of fire through her veins.

Naruto leaned forward slightly, pressing his lips to Sasuke's neck. He flicked the tip of his tongue lightly against the soft, pale skin. Sasuke gasped, slowly pulling back from the kiss.

"That's not fair… catching me off guard." He smirked at Naruto, who stuck his tongue out yet again.

"We really should get ready you two…" Sakura said after finally catching her breath.

"I know.. I know… but.. Just one more?" Naruto pleaded softly. Sakura smiled as she and Sasuke leaned towards Naruto for one more kiss. Just as their lips met, Sasuke slid his hand up Sakura's inner thigh, his fingertips grazing the bottom edge of her skirt. Naruto placed his hand on top of Sasuke's, slipping his fingers between the other boy's.

The sudden sound of footsteps in the hall was missed by all three of them, they were far too caught up in the moment.

"What time – err uhh…" Gaara stared at them from the doorway, blushing a deep crimson. "Oh...Uh... I…"

Sasuke pulled back suddenly and turned to look at him. "What was your question?"

"Oh, um.. w-what time does d-dinner start?" His eyes were glued to the hands under her skirt.

"In fifteen minutes. We'll be ready soon." Sakura said, cool as a cucumber.

"Okay...Th-thanks..." He ran off quickly down the hall.

"What was his big deal?" Naruto asked. "It's not like people don't kiss in the villages of Sand… I mean... Where does he think he came from? Geez."

"Let's get ready." Sakura stood up quickly and walked towards the bathroom.

"What did I say?" He asked as Sakura left the room.

Sasuke shrugged. "Who knows with that one…Just go get dressed. Hinata and Kiba will be here soon. And the rest of them…" He slid himself off of the blonde's lap.

"Okay…" Naruto said, standing up slowly. He headed towards the bathroom.

"Great.. just great Uzumaki… You wrinkled my favorite shirt."


	15. Sunshine In a Bag

Shinobi Secrets

Disclaimer … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)

**Chapter 15**

_Sunshine in a bag_

Sakura led the guests of honor, Hinata and Kiba, into the living room to join the other guests. Just as she was about to grab a drink, someone else knocked on the door. She headed back and opened the door to find Shikamaru and Temari making out.

He looked up at her suddenly. "Oh..Hi…..troublesome…." He grabbed Temari's hand. "We aren't late, are we?"

"Nope.. come on in you two." Sakura stepped back to let them in. "Although you may want to get to the appetizers fast.. Chouji has been eyeing them very closely." She laughed lightly, thankful she had reserves still in the kitchen. She led them into the main living room. "I will be right back, you two make yourselves at home."

"Alright, thanks. Come on Shi-shi." Temari said, pulling him towards the drinks.

Sakura turned and headed towards the hallway. "Naru! Sauce-face! What are you two waiting for?" She yelled, opening the door to Naruto's room. Naruto turned and smiled.

"Sorry.. Sasuke had to punish me for wrinkling his shirt.. and.. well.. you know." He shrugged.

"Without me? Gee, thanks." She said, turning back towards the door. "Just hurry it up… or else you'll miss out on everything." She stormed out, shutting the door behind herself.

"Geez. She's so cranky today… Did you forget to give her money or something?" Naruto asked, straightening out his shirt.

"I haven't done anything I know about… It's probably stress." He finished tying his shoe and stood up. "Come on… let's go party. Just.. please don't let me drink this time." Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Now THAT is the power of youth!" Lee yelled, giving Hinata and Kiba a thumbs up for their enthusiastic kissing in front of the camera.

"What happened to all that shy-but-I'm-really-plotting-the-destruction-of-the-earth stuff? Geez." Ino said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on honey, just let them be happy, like us." Chouji managed between bites of barbeque beef. She turned and smiled at him.

"But you're at least ten times as cute as Kiba." She said, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah.. and ten times his size. Must be ten times the sexy…" He said, taking yet another bite.

"I can't take it anymore! It's time to dance!" Naruto burst out as he jumped up from the sofa and danced his way to the stereo. Everyone stared blankly at him, wondering why he was so energetic.

"Preferably not something you know I hate… Naru-chan." Sasuke said, walking over to him.

"Does any music exist that you don't hate?" Naruto said, randomly pushing buttons on the CD changer. Sasuke smirked and walked back to his spot on the couch, which was now occupied by Neji and Ten-ten, who seemed to be more interested in each-other than anything else around them.

He eyed another spot next to Shino and Konkuro and made a beeline for it, hoping he could get to it before another couple decided to make out instead of going along with Naruto… who was still the only one dancing.

He sat down in a hurry and surveyed the room. Kakashi and Iruka had decided to join Naruto on the dance floor, and were prancing about.

Lee took the camera from Gaara's hands and placed it on the table, pulling him onto the dance floor.

"You know I hate dancing…" Gaara said, complying anyway.

"Hush.. at least you don't look like Uzumaki…" They both glanced his way, watching him flailing his arms. "I wonder if they call that move 'the ramen'…."

"More like 'The Seizure…'" Gaara said, moving himself closer to Lee.

"Are you feeling okay tonight?" Lee asked, just as a slow song came on.

Gaara moved himself up against Lee slowly. "I'm okay… now that we got all of my.. you know.. stuff forwarded.." He wrapped his arms around Lee's neck and leaned his head against his shoulder. "I was stressed about the whole thing… But you know we can't stay here forever… The time will come when they need me back home."

Lee looked down at him and smiled. "Don't worry about it for now.. just enjoy your little vacation." He kissed him softly on the forehead.

Shikamaru and Temari joined them on the dance floor, making out the instant they found a good place to stand.

"No, no! I'm soooo okay!" Shino said loudly, swaying heavily as he stood up. He leaned down to put his sake cup on the table and almost fell face-first on top of it.

Konkuro grabbed him by the back of his shirt and helped him stand up straight. "You are not… Please sit back down."

"No, no! I mean it! I'm on fire!" He ran over to Naruto. "Can I dance with you?" He asked. Not waiting for an answer, he began running circles around the blonde, somehow managing to stay on his feet.

"Oh geez… here we go again…" Konkuro said, putting his hand over his eyes. "I just can't watch this … hopefully he stays clothed this time…"

"Looks like you spoke too soon…" Ten-ten said, finally looking away from Neji.

Shino's jacket flew across the room and landed on Sasuke's head.

"I knew it was going to be exciting… but not..that.. exciting," Sasuke said, setting the jacket on the couch next to him. "Does he always wear fishnet shirts?" His eyes were glued to the strange drunken version of Shino dancing half naked around his boyfriend.

"Yeah… he just gives off that I'm-so-sexy-under-this-jacket-but-you'll-never-know-how-much vibe." Konkuro shrugged. "I like it. … Oh dear god.." He walked over to the table Shino had just climbed onto.

"Woo! Baby! Watch! Watch!" Shino yelled, undoing his belt.

"Shake it!" Yelled Naruto, who jumped up on the table next to him and began dancing.

"Kinda odd.. Dancing like that to a slow song…" Gaara commented, trying to keep his eyes off of them.

"I think they dance to their own beat… the beat of YOUTH!" Lee yelled, starting to dance crazily as well.

"Okay.. Shino, honey… get down please…" Konkuro said, holding his arms out to him.

"You really do love me. OMG I can't take it anymore!" Shino squealed, falling into his arms. "You are soooo soft! " He began giggling uncontrollably.

Naruto continued to dance on the tabletop, unzipping his jacket.

Hinata stood near the entrance to the dining room, staring blankly at the other occupants of the living room, hoping that Kiba would get back from his "serious" discussion with Sasuke soon.

"It's soooo hot in here! I can't believe everyone hasn't melted!" Shino said, slurring his words as he leaned against Konkuro's shoulder.

"Honey, people don't melt."

"They do if they are made of chocolate and sugar.. like you…" Shino mumbled, starting to fall asleep. Konkuro helped him over to the couch.

"Chocolate and sugar, huh?" Temari asked, poking Konkuro in the ribs. He winced.

"Yeah.. leave it alone."

"Hey guys! Dinner is ready!" Sakura called, leaning out around the corner. "Naruto! Get off that table this instant!"

Naruto jumped quickly down and headed sheepishly towards her.


	16. Dinner Parties and Deception

Shinobi Secrets

[[[Disclaimer]]] … I don't own Naruto or any of these characters .. Which makes me a very sad girl... Because if I owned Naruto there would be a lot more free cable+ than anyone could handle.

--+ Free Cable: A very odd term my sister and I use for yaoi. [Ninjas make good friends... they can jump from roof to roof and get you free cable... ;)]

--

**Chapter 16**

_Dinner parties and deception_

_--  
_

"Does anyone need anything else?" Sakura asked, pouring Naruto another glass of water.

"I think we are all okay, please sit down and eat." Called Sasuke from the far end of the table. She sighed and set the water pitcher on the table and took her seat, unable to relax.

Sakura attempted to get out of her seat once more. "But I'm sure that I..."

"Sit. Eat. Hush." Sasuke said, pointing to her chair. Sakura sat, eying everyone else around the table.

"Dinner is amazing, Sakura." Gaara said. "Maybe you could come work for us on the catering end." He laughed. "That is, if we ever get another wedding to plan."

Lee cleared his throat. "So, Kiba... Hinata, I hear you two have some big plans coming up. Have you thought about what you'd like to do?"

Kiba just stared at them, open-mouthed.

Hinata looked at Lee. "Well, honestly, I think I am going to need some serious help with him. He doesn't know glitter from sawdust." She flashed Kiba an adoring smile. "That's part of his charm. So.. rugged and manly." She giggled and melted into his shoulder, whispering into his ear.

Lee cleared his throat again, passing her a business card. "Well, if you need anything, let us know. We will be staying here for the next little while."

Hinata looked back at him. "Of course." She slipped the card into her pocket. "I don't suppose we could stop by sometime tomorrow?" She looked to Sasuke, who nodded.

"Works great for me." Lee said, grabbing Gaara's hand under the table.

"Oh, I can't..." Sakura sighed and stood up quickly. "I'll be right back." She said, running off as quickly as possible, leaving the room before Sasuke could say a word.

"I love meat." Chouji said, placing his arm around Ino's shoulders as he leaned back in his chair, completely stuffed.

"I like bugs!" Shino giggled, still completely drunk. Konkuro handed him a glass of water, hoping it would distract him long enough to forget about talking. Shino held the glass up to the light, giggling again when rainbows cascaded across the room.

Naruto sat, transfixed on a rainbow that had fallen on his plate. The longer he stared, the more the colors seemed to blend into one. They became a swirling torrent of raw emotion, the line between his fears and joys bending and warping before his very eyes. He shook his head, looking up at Sasuke.

A look of concern filled the dark haired boy's eyes and he passed his glass of water to the blond without asking. Naruto took a long drink, leaning back in his chair. He hoped he wasn't hallucinating, blacking out at his own dinner table. He hoped it was just a few drinks that he had forgotten consuming. He put the thought out of his mind and looked around the table.

Everyone else ate in contented silence, each pair focusing on each-other.

Sasuke leaned forward, placing his hand on Naruto's. "You okay, sweetie?"

Naruto nodded. "I think I just had a little too much to drink." He smiled, looking up at the doorway as Sakura entered, carrying a large tray of deserts. He quickly downed the rest of the glass of water Sasuke had handed him.

"I hope everyone saved room... We have green tea ice cream and tiramisu." She smiled, passing out a well-portioned dish of each to her guests.

When Sakura set Naruto's dishes in front of him, he smiled, seeing the icing hearts she had added to his and his alone. Sasuke frowned at this, very disappointed in the way she treated him. He was happy for his Naruto, but he was very jealous that Sakura no longer had eyes only for him. He would find the time to prove to her just how much of a man he was... but now was not the time for that.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke, he simply adored that intense look that shadowed the Uchiha's eyes when he was thinking deeply about something.

"Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" Shino asked suddenly, standing up. Konkuro stood up as well, grabbing him by the shoulders. The rest of the room's occupants watched them, finishing off their deserts.

"It's pretty warm, let's get you home."

"Anything you say, love puff." Shino slurred, turning himself towards the door.

"Um, I think I need to get him in bed. Thanks for dinner guys, it was great. I'm sure Shino had a great time too.." Konkuro looked nervously around the room. "Um, well. I guess I will see you all later." He quickly propelled himself and his companion out the front door.

"Love puff?" Iruka asked, staring at the space they had so recently occupied.

The entire room broke out in a chorus of laughter.

"Desert was amazing, Sakura. Maybe you should work for Lee and Gaara." Kiba said, standing up quickly to pull out Hinata's chair.

"Oh, thank you." Sakura blushed and glanced sidelong at Gaara. She smiled lightly and looked down at the table.

"What time are you guys available tomorrow?" Lee asked, beginning to stack the dishes in neat piles as he stood.

"Anytime after noon is great." Hinata said, pushing her chair in and grabbing Kiba's hand.

"Alright, well, I guess head over when you're ready then and we'll see what we can do for you." Lee finished.

"Okay, goodnight guys, and thanks again Sakura. We've really got to get home." Hinata said, following Kiba towards the front door.

One by one the rest of the couples left, leaving Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto with Lee and Gaara.

Sakura began running back and forth between the dining room and kitchen, scrubbing every spot she saw or thought she saw frantically. Gaara grabbed her by the arm.

"You're making me crazy, woman. Go sit down. You've done enough." He directed her to the nearest couch in the living room.

"Don't worry, she gets like this. In about 15 minutes, she'll be out cold from exhaustion." Sasuke said, carrying the last stack of dishes to the kitchen as Sakura collapsed on the couch.

"Looks like you were off by about 14 minutes this time." Naruto said, moving towards the living room. He sat next to her on the couch, moving a few loose strands of hair from her eyes. "Hey, Sakura, you can't sleep here on the couch. Let's get you in bed." He helped her gently to her feet, accepting most of her weight as she leaned against him, practically sleep walking in his arms. Sasuke moved as though to assist him and he waved him back to the dining room. "I've got her, no worries. Just take care of the dining room and I'll get her into bed." He whispered over her head.

Sasuke frowned at another opportunity foiled by his beautiful blond, but shrugged it off and began stacking dishes alongside Lee and Gaara. He watched from the corner of his vision as the two made their way slowly towards their bedrooms. He knew it was just a matter of time before he had them both hopelessly in love with him and unable to stand against his decisions.

---

Naruto lumbered down the hall, almost dragging Sakura's mostly limp form down the long, warmly decorated hallway. He was shocked to find that he had never seen the impact of her redecorating efforts before. He shuddered at the thought of how cold and lifeless the too-large house had been before he and Sakura moved in.

"You know, I've always liked flowers... And teddy bears." Sakura mumbled as the reached her doorway. Naruto glanced at her sideways, fumbling her doorknob open. "I especially like... blond teddy bears." She reached up and clumsily ran her fingers through his hair. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" The latch finally slid free, but so did Naruto's composure.

"Wai-, what? Were you drinking tonight, Sakura?" Naruto asked, watching her bedroom door creep open. He took a deep breath and began moving her into her room, towards her bed.

"No, I don't... well maybe..." She put a hand on her forehead. "Yeah, probably. I don't really remember though." She sat on the edge of her bed and began pulling her shirt off over her head. Naruto averted his gaze by dropping to the floor to remove her house-slippers. She giggled to herself when he tugged at her socks, her shirt finally coming free. Flinging her shirt into the far corner, Sakura plopped back onto her bed and snuggled under her covers.

"I mean it, I want you to sleep with me tonight." She mumbled into her pillow. Naruto stared at her for a moment longer, then crept to her bed and climbed up behind her.

"I hope you remember asking me in the morning." Naruto said, snuggling into her back. He was amazed at how soft and warm she was, and he found himself in a state of utter bliss at being this close to her.

"You're so cute, Naruto... Don't ever leave me." She whispered, clearly dropping off to sleep. He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled the soft flowery scent of her hair.

"I'm not sure being anywhere else will ever be the same." He said softly, completely content with watching her sleep.

---

Sasuke finished stacking the clean dishes in their proper places in the cupboards, less than thrilled that he had had to wash and dry each and every one of them by himself. He had sent Lee and Gaara to their room hours before, not wanting to make guests overwork themselves, but more so that he could have some time alone with Naruto.

He found himself irritated, but more insulted that Naruto hadn't had the awareness to think of anyone other than himself. Turning out all the lights, he meandered his way through the kitchen and dining room, and down the long hallway. A slightly open door caught his eye and he leaned in to close it, realizing by the soft perfume that filled his nose that it was Sakura's room. Hesitating for only a moment he pushed the door open softly.

Scanning the room, he smiled, seeing her tucked safely into bed. His eyes lingered on her soft form, realizing that she somehow had doubled in size. He stepped into the room and an instant rage overtook him. Naruto was sleeping with her, snuggled so tightly against her that it was impossible to tell where Sakura ended and Naruto began.

He sped furiously from the room and shut the door behind himself. Stalking down the unlit hallway, he made his way to his room, alone and bitter, fuming at HIS Naruto sleeping with HIS Sakura. He would make them both pay... in his own way.

**--The next morning--**

The sun shone brightly into Naruto's eyes, forcing them open hours before they would have been in his dark blue-curtained room. He groaned softly, rolling onto his back. The pale pink fabric of the canopy over the bed filled his eyes and he sat up quickly, disentangling himself from the still-sleeping form of Sakura.

He slowly crept out of bed, climbing over mountains of pillows and stuffed animals, nearly falling flat on his face several times before making it to the plush baby pink carpeting. He tip-toed to the door and opened it as silently as he was capable of. The smells of breakfast drifted down the fall from the kitchen and filled his nose, his stomach growled loudly in response.

"Mmmm... Naruto, did you know you talk in your sleep?" Sakura asked, apparently woken by his rumbling stomach. "I had no idea you really cared that much about me." She smiled and sat up, topless and seemingly uncaring.

"I... what?" He said, backing towards the door a little.

Sakura stood and walked towards him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before turning towards her closet. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She said, opening the double doors and stepping into a small gallery of clothing. "I'll be out for breakfast in a few minutes, will you make sure that feather-brain put on water for my tea? Oh, and don't forget to change your shirt.. we have guests." Her voice was muffled by the seeming miles of clothing that had enveloped her.

"Um, yeah. I'll.... Okay." Naruto said, turning around and stepping into the hall. He closed the door behind himself, his stomach letting out another loud growl that made Sakura laugh loudly even through the closed door.

He floated down the hall a few feet and went into his room, trying to decide how best to handle the strange new range of emotions spending the night in her bad had uncovered. He dove into his closet, yanking his old shirt off and tossing it to the floor carelessly. Quickly pulling the nearest from a hanger, he tugged it down over his head and turned to leave his room. He stopped suddenly, the dark figure watching him from his doorway making his heart skip a beat.

"That shirt just doesn't do you justice. You should wear one of mine." Sasuke said, holding a shirt that looked two sizes smaller than Naruto would have liked out in front of him. An evil grin spread across Sasuke's face as he watched his beautiful blond remove his shirt and toss it to the floor. Quickly closing the gap between them, he grabbed the slim blond by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eye.

"You're mine. You know that right?" Before there was a chance to respond, Sasuke had his lips pressed firmly to Naruto's. Jut as suddenly he pulled back and tugged the too-tight shirt over the blonde's head and smoothed it down his chest.

"I..." Naruto began, but Sasuke pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head. Reaching around to grab the other boy's behind, he gave him another evil grin before vanishing out the doorway and down the hall. Naruto scrambled to the doorframe and shouted down the hall. "Don't forget to heat water for tea!" Naruto frowned, wondering what had gotten into Sasuke this morning.

* * *

I guess I have random new inspiration, don't question it...

There may be more on the way if I get a few more reviews...

--Chakra Kitten


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